The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-09-23
Fl OLD MANS BOY.

The sun had long since dropped be-
hind the scrubby lack oaks on
Hicks Knob. There was no mooA in
sight, but the dancing stars that,
winking and blinking so merrily at
each other, seemed mildly flirting the
night hours away, shed a stuble gleam
of light down upon the winding road.
At either hand the dense forest Of
southern Missouri stretched away,
broken only by the knobs ("knobs"
the sauatters call them that reared
their sCraggy heads at unexpected
places. Far off to the right a sleepy
rain-Crow, that had been hustled off
his perch by his uneasy mate, gave ut
terance to his harsh, uncanny,
squawking cry, which sounded much
as if his vocal organs sadly need
ed oiling. The shadows at the
foot of the great piebald stem OF the
tall sycamore were dense and black,
and, close to the roadside just oppo-
site, the shades Of the little clump of
red-bud trees were inky and irregular
in outline. Presently one of the
patches of darkness moved a little,
and Boulson's hoarse voice whispered
loudly.
"See anything yit?"
Dad blast it all. mol" answered
Deputy Sheriff Hanks from the op-
posite shadow.
"Wa'l sher'f this is a picnic, to be
shore" philosophical BouIson. Cant
DO helped, reckon, but somehow /
amt mashed on havin' spiders an
SIGH crawlin' up an down my back
like they've ben dom fer the last
hour. I'm migty hungry fer a smoke
just now"
al am, too, but it won't do"
"Know that. Consarn that scoun'-
rell Ill feel like shootin' him Jest fer
tuck wen he comes, if he ever does"
"Me, too" whispered the deputy
sheriff again. "0nly We musn' t, less
we halter. Had too long a chase to
waste him now, eh, B~oulson?"
"You beti" that worthy whispered
hoarsely. But ef he hain't powerful
cafful wen tlnk him on the ground a
time or tN jest kinder on general
principles" added Hanks.
That's what answered Boulson.
'More'n a month we've been after
him." went or the deputy, "an' now
we're not goin' to low him to give up
the slip, Hain't got no requisition to
take him backto Kansas, Don'tneed
none reckon. This is as gooda requi-
sitiea q want.
Hanks thrust his hand out into the
starlight aud the huge revolver he
grasped cleaned balefnlly.
"Plenty good enough answered
Boulson.
Won't be no trouble about papers
wen we take him back, / reckony'
went on Hanks, s'the boys'll settle
his case. Hoss stealin' don't call fer
no trial in Kansas"
you bet yer lifel" replied Boulson.
THAR he comes nOwlp whispered
Deputy Sheriff Hanks, as a dark, gal-
Looping figure came in view, swiftly de-
scending the winding road down the
side OF Hicks Knob. Then the
shadows at Che loot Of the sycamore
and by the red-bCd clump grew rigid
and silent. For many long days these
two determined men had been on the
trail Of the man who now galloped to-
ward them. at last the long hunt
seemed about to end. What the
riders fate would be Hanks had ex-
pressed in the sentence, aHoss
stealth don't call for no trial in KAN
aas.n
wonder If he's got Kit?" half
whispered the deputy. Bay Kittie
had been the pride and delight OF
Ranks heart, and when, after many
depredati0ns, the night rider had
stolen the bay PAGER from the deputy,
that worthy swote the most diabolis
eaa venqence that he could conceive 81,
aud in company with Boulaon follow.
"a the trail with the vin~dictiveness Of
D bulldog.
The footballs Of the approaching
horse beat musically npon the turf
and the rider could be seen peering
keenly ahead. When the horses head
had almost reached the sycamore, a
dark figure sprang from The red-bud